Welcome Topsail High School

students, teachers,

and community members!!

• Rain shadow effect - on the leeward side of mountains we often find deserts because the mountains block rain - BSCHOSEK
• Unequal heating of the earth caused by variation in the angle of the suns rays as they hit the earth and the amount of surface area over which the sun's rays are distributed - R Spillane
• Commensalists- They can benefit from a host at almost no cost to the host. An example would be eyelash mites and humans -Jessica W
• Oligotrophic Lakes - very clear lakes with low nutrient levels; sparse vegetation and few animal species -Caroline Bolin
• Convergent evolution- species from different evolutionary branches may resemble one another if they live in very similar environments -E. Bakke
• Biomes - Large terrestrial regions characterized by certain climates and dominant plant life - LWALTERMIRE
• Keystone species- species that have a large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. -T. Surratt
• Invasive species- (also called invasive exotics) an "alien species" who does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm. -Gabriella Vitagliano
• habitat loss- is generally viewed as the largest cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, humans reduce or eliminate its usefulness as a habitat for the other species that live there.- Roberto G
• Mangroves- various types of trees and shrubs, they grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics. -A. Bishop
• Parasite- Only one organism benefits Ex. a tick or flea on a animal. -Someone
• Preemptive Competition- one species takes over a space or releases a toxin that prevents other species from using the area. -Jocelyn Roper
• Niche- species job/ role- includes anything affecting species survival and reproduction-- A.Rich
• Natural Selection - where biological traits become either more familiar or less familiar in the specie/s. -Ruthie Paschal
• Land Biomes- Major regional groupings of plants and animals on global scale. The dominant, characteristic,and unique growth forms.- ex. vertical stratification. One major biome is the Tundra - A. Cox
• Geographic Isolation- populations of plants, animals, and other organisms are separated from exchanging genetic material with other species due to physical barriers (glaciers or mountains) being in the way. -Kealey W

• Biodiversity

• -Tom W
• Genetic Biodiversity- Biodiversity In a certain group of animals Ex. Variation in a population of rabbits.
• Species Biodiversity- Varieties in different species Ex. Snakes, mice and rabbits.
• Ecosystem Biodiversity- Variation in different biomes. Ex. A swamp and marsh.
• Biodiversity- increases with speciation: decreases with extinction(Extinction creates evolutionary opportunities for adaptive radiation of surviving species)
• Gradualist Model (Neo-Darwinian):Slow changes in species overtime
• Punctuated Equilibrium:Evolution occurs in spurts of relatively rapid change
• Adaptive Radiation: Emergence of numerous species from a common ancestor introduced to new and diverse environments AKA They all look alike and come from one type of bird but in different forms, like one has a stubbly noes and another has a long skinny noes. Ex those birds on the Galapagos islands,Hawaiian Honeycreepers
• Convergent Evolution: Species from different evolutionary branches may come to resemble one another if they live in very similar environments Example:1. Ostrich (Africa) and Emu (Australia).
  2. Sidewinder (Mojave Desert) and
  Horned Viper (Middle East Desert) -E. Bakke
• Evolution and extinction are affected by:large scale movements of continents, gradual climate changes due to continental drift or orbit changes, rapid climate changes due to catastrophic events.
• Background extinction - species disappear at a low rate as local conditions change
  Mass extinction - catastrophic, wide-spread events --> abrupt increase in extinction rate
  Five mass extinctions in past 500 million years
  Adaptive radiation - new species evolve during recovery period following mass extinction
• Equilibrium Theory of Biodiversity:
  1.)Physical conditions
  2.)variety of resources
  3.)Predators
  4.)environmental variability
• Species Richness: measurement of the
  number of species in a given area
• Species Richness on Islands:
  Depends on:
  1.) Rate of immigration to island
  2.) Rate of extinction on island
  These in turn depend on:
  1.) Island size
  2.) Distance from mainland
• Species Evenness: measurement of how
  evenly distributed organisms are among
  species -Someone
• Species richness declines from equator to pole
  Due to:
  1.)Evolutionary history
  2.)Climate
• Remember, larger the area, the more species diversity. -You know who
• Theory of Island Bio-geography AKA common sense: 1.)Smaller islands have lower total populations
  2.) Probability of extinction increases with lower population
  3.) Smaller islands have lower species diversity - He who shall not be named
• Roosevelt: Tripled the size of forest reserves
• 1912: National park service created
• 1916: enforce their protection
• Generalist:
  1.) large niches
  2.) tolerate wide range of environmental variations
  3.) do better during changing environmental conditions
  Specialist:
  1.) narrow niches
  2.) more likely to become endangered
  3.) do better under consistent environmental conditions
• The r-strategists: r for rats, there is a lot of them, short lived, small, can survive varying climates, and grow up fast -Someone
• 
  The K strategist: K for long live the king. Fewer, long lived, large.
• Mutual-ism: Both benefit.
• ATMOSPHERE
• -Tom W
• Atmosphere Layers:
• Exosphere (topmost layers)
• Thermosphere
• (Ionosphere)
• Mesosphere
• Stratosphere
• Troposphere
• 
  
• Factors that effect temperature:
  -Latitude
  -Elevation
  -Closeness to large bodies of water

• Biomes

• -Tom W
• Major Biomes
• -Deserts
  -Forests
  -Grasslands
  -Tundra
  -Aquatic
  
  
• Temperate Forest:
  Temperature:
  -Well-defined seasons with a distinct winter characterize this forest biome
  -Moderate climate and a growing season of 140-200 days during 4-6 frost-free months distinguish temperate forests
  -Temperature varies from -30° C to 30 degrees C
• Precipitation:
  -(75-150 cm) is distributed evenly throughout the year
• Soils:
  fertile, enriched with decaying litter
• Plants:
  Canopy:
  -moderately dense
  -allows light to penetrate
  -resulting in well-developed and richly diversified understory vegetation and stratification of animals
  -Flora is characterized by 3-4 tree species per square kilometer
  -Trees are distinguished by broad leaves that are lost annually
• Ex.
  -Oak
  -Hickory
  -Beech
  -Hemlock
  -Maple
  -Basswood
  -Cottonwood
  -Elm
  -Willow Spring-flowering herbs-Tom W
• Animal Ex.
  -Bank Vole
  -Black Bear
  -Gray Squirrel
  -Raccoon
  -White-tailed Deer
  -Wild Boar
  -Cardinal
  -Goshawk
  -Turkey
  -Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  -Rat Snake
  -Spring Peeper -Tom W
• YOU LIVE HERE
• If you want more examples, go to Scho's site @Biomes PPT
  
  (Download it and open) Or Google view
  Biomes.ppt (Recommended Choice)

• Aquatic Diversity

• -Tom W
• Why should we care about coral reefs? Seriously?
• Well, They:-create Biodiversity
  • Formation of:
  -Tiny animals (polyps) and algae have
  mutualistic relationship
  - Polyps secret calcium carbonate shells,
  which become coral reefs
• • Important ecological and economic
  services
  • Moderate atmospheric temperatures
  • Act as natural barriers protecting coasts
  from erosion
  • Provide habitats
  • Support fishing and tourism businesses
  • Provide jobs and building materials
  • Studied and enjoyed -Tom W
• How we are killing coral reefs
• • Degradation and decline:
  • Coastal development
  • Pollution
  • Over-fishing
  • Warmer ocean temperatures leading to
  coral bleaching: kill algae and thus the
  polyps
  • Increasing ocean acidity
• Saltwater: global ocean divided into 4
  areas
  -Atlantic
  -Pacific
  -Arctic
  -Indian
• Aquatic life zones
  • Saltwater life zones (marine life zones )
  • Oceans and estuaries
  • Coastlands and shorelines
  • Coral reefs
  • Mangrove forests
• Freshwater life zones
  • Lakes
  • Rivers and streams
  • Inland wetlands
• Plankton : free floating
  Phytoplankton
  Primary producers for most aquatic food
  webs
  Zooplankton
  • Primary and secondary consumers
  • Single-celled to large invertebrates like
  jellyfish
• • Nekton
  Strong swimmers: fish, turtles, whales
• Benthos
  • Bottom dwellers: -oysters,sea stars, clams,lobsters, crabs
• • Decomposers
  -Mostly bacteria
• Turbidity : degree of cloudiness in water
  Inhibits photosynthesis
• • Key factors in the distribution of organisms
  • Temperature
  • Dissolved oxygen content
  • Availability of food
  • Availability of light and nutrients needed
  for photosynthesis in the euphotic (photic)
  zone
• Coastal zone
  -Warm, nutrient rich, shallow
  -Shore to edge of continental shelf
  -Usually high NPP from ample sunlight and
  nutrients
• Estuaries and coastal wetlands
  • Where rivers meet the sea
  • Seawater mixes with freshwater
  • Very productive ecosystems: high nutrient
  levels
• Ex. River mouths
• Inlets
  -Bays
  -Sounds
  -Salt marshes
  -Mangrove forests -
  -Tom W

• Wetlands

• -Tom W
• Seagrass Beds
  • Grow underwater in shallow areas
  • Support a variety of marine species
  • Stabilize shorelines
  • Reduce wave impact
  
  
• Mangrove forests
  • Along tropical and subtropical coastlines
  • 69 different tree species that grow in
  saltwater
• • Important ecological and economic
  services
  • Coastal aquatic systems maintain water
  quality by filtering
  - Toxic pollutants
  - Excess plant nutrients
  - Sediments
  - Absorb other pollutants
  - Provide food, timber, fuelwood, and
  habitats
  - Reduce storm damage and coast erosion

• Rocky and sandy shores

• -Tom W
• Intertidal zone
  • Rocky shores
  • Sandy shores: barrier beaches
  • Organism adaptations necessary to deal
  with daily salinity and moisture changes
• Three vertical zones of the open sea
  1. Euphotic zone
  • Phytoplankton
  • Nutrient levels low
  • Dissolved oxygen levels high
  2. Bathyal zone
  • Dimly lit
  • Zooplankton and smaller fishes
• 3. Abyssal zone
  • Dark and cold
  • High levels of nutrients
  • Little dissolved oxygen
  • Deposit feeders
  • Filter feeders
  • Upwelling brings nutrients to euphotic
  zone
  • Primary productivity and NPP
• • Major threats to marine systems
  • Coastal development
  • Overfishing
  • Use of fishing trawlers
  • Runoff of nonpoint source pollution
  • Point source pollution
  • Habitat destruction
  • Introduction of invasive species
  • Climate change from human activities
  • Pollution of coastal wetlands and estuaries
• Profundal zone
  • Deep water too dark for photosynthesis
  • Low oxygen levels
  • Some fish
  Benthic zone
  • Decomposers
  • Detritus feeders
  • Some fish
  • Nourished primarily by dead matter
• Eutrophic lakes
  • High levels of nutrients and high NPP
  • Murky water with high turbidity (opposite of Oligotrophic lakes)
• Oligotrophic Lakes -Top of page, Fourth one down
• Vital Sponges
  • Marshes
  • Swamps
  • Prairie potholes
  • Floodplains
  • Arctic tundra in summer
• • Provide free ecological and economic
  services
  • Filter and degrade toxic wastes
  • Reduce flooding and erosion
  • Help to replenish streams and recharge
  groundwater aquifers
  • Biodiversity
  • Food and timber
  • Recreation areas -Tom W